An in-person check-in with an International Student Advisor/DSO at the International Programs Center (IPC) is required by law for all new F-1 and J-1 international students, including transfer students. Most new international students will check in during their orientation session. Other non-immigrant students (E-2, H-4, F-2, etc.) are NOT required to check in. Your documents will be collected and information to get settled in Greensboro will be provided in the New Student Check-in Request within the ISSS Student Portal. Those who are unable to attend an in-person orientation session may self-schedule a make-up check-in appointment at go.uncg.edu/isssappointment.

Remember that as an international student you are required to attend the International Student Orientation (ISO) in addition to all other university required orientation sessions. For information on ISO, please review the pre-arrival orientation course for your incoming term in Canvas. For information on the undergraduate Spartan Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR) session, visit this webpage. For orientation requirements for graduate students, contact your Director of Graduate Studies for your academic program.

Course registration according to full-time enrollment requirements is necessary to have your SEVIS record activated. Undergraduate students will register for classes during SOAR.

Graduate students will register with the help of their academic advisor. If you are unsure of who your academic advisor is, start by contacting the Director of Graduate Studies of your program. We encourage graduate students with assistantships to register for courses as early as possible (even prior to arrival) as international students cannot get a social security number (SSN) or complete the I-9 process without course registration.

Note: within 30 days of registering for at least one (1) credit hour, you are required to be compliant with UNCG’s immunization policy (see Step 5 below for more information).

Your SpartanCard is your official UNCG ID that will allow you to access transportation, check out books and materials from the library, swipe in to events, and maintain your meal plan. The SpartanCard center is located at 106 Moran Commons (bottom floor of the UNCG Dining Hall), and can be accessed during normal business hours, Monday-Friday 8:00A.M.-5:00 P.M. To learn about getting your SpartanCard, click here. Note: you must be registered for classes in order to get your SpartanCard.

This step is only applicable to students who have been granted an assistantship (Graduate Assistantship, Teaching Assistantship, or Research Assistantship) by the Graduate School.

All students who have been offered on-campus positions are required to complete the I-9 process before beginning work. Students who already have an SSN will receive a yellow, permanent I-9 card from the Career Services Center. Students who need to apply for an SSN must wait 10 days after arriving in the U.S., and will use their receipt from the Social Security Administration to receive an orange, temporary I-9 card from Career Services.

For a full list of requirements, see the International Student Employment Checklist, and visit our webpage on Training and Employment.

All students are required to comply with the University’s mandatory health insurance and immunization requirements. You will need to choose to waive or enroll in the University’s Student Blue insurance plan, and submit your immunization records and medical history form (in English) to the immunization clinic. Note: you must be incompliance with all immunization requirements within 30 days of registering for at least 1 credit hour.

In addition to these steps, you must also report to the Gove Student Health Center to receive a tuberculosis (TB) test. TB tests must be completed and submitted from a location in the U.S. TB test results from other countries will not be accepted.

It is very important that you work closely with UNCG’s Cashier’s Office (151 Mossman Building) to understand bill payment procedures to ensure that the balance posted to your student account is paid on time. Failure to make a timely payment can result in having your courses dropped, and, therefore, loss of status. If you anticipate any issues in paying your student bill, make sure to communicate that early and clearly to the Cashier’s Office and your International Student Advisor!

The Cashier’s Office does offer payment plans, so be sure to check into this option, if needed.

• Check out current student groups on Spartan Connect! And download the Corq app to stay connected once you’re on campus.
• Rawkin’ Welcome Week is an exciting series of events designed to welcome all new students to campus. Apart from IPC’s Chancellor’s International Welcome Reception that is always held the first Tuesday of classes, we encourage you to check out other events to get to know other students and get connected on campus.
• Get involved with IPC to learn about our featured events and other ways to connect with IPC staff and other international students.

All incoming international students are required to complete the online pre-arrival orientation modules on Canvas. To access Canvas, you must have activated your iSpartan accounts. The series of online pre-arrival modules is designed to give you ample time to learn the critical information related to visa/status maintenance, and preparing for your arrival to UNCG. Pre-arrival orientation covers the following topics:

• Student Health Requirements
• Paying your Student Bill
• F-1 Visa Compliance
• Adjusting to Academic Life in the U.S.

It is important that you complete all materials associated with these modules before arriving to the U.S. This allows the in-person International Student Orientation to be more productive and pointed at helping with final adjustments to Greensboro, rather than consisting of a series of long informational sessions.

If you are unable to access or complete the online pre-arrival modules, contact us (isss@uncg.edu), and we will make sure that you can attend an in-person version to receive this material.

All* new degree-seeking international students on F-1 or J-1 visas are required to participate in the International Student Orientation provided by the International Programs Center (IPC) in the week leading up to the start of the semester. Even if you have attended an orientation program at another U.S. institution, policies and procedures vary, so please plan to attend. A complete orientation schedule will be emailed to your personal and UNCG email accounts within one month prior to the orientation program. Note: there is also a series of required online, pre-arrival orientation modules in Canvas that all students should complete prior to arrival to the U.S. To access Canvas, you will need to activate your iSpartan account. * MBA Students: MBA students do not need to register for International Student Orientation. You will receive information from the International Student Orientation during MBA Base Camp.

Orientation Dates

International Student Orientation for students beginning in the Fall semester is always the Tuesday before classes begin. For students starting their program in the Spring semester, International Student Orientation will be held the week before classes begin. Please consult the UNCG Academic Calendar for more specific dates, and email isss@uncg.edu if you have any questions or concerns. The Fall 2023 International Student Orientation schedule is available here  

Orientation Topics

Along with expanding on topics covered in the online pre-arrival modules, the orientation program will provide information about campus services, programs, and administrative procedures. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to meet current international students and inquire about academic and cultural adjustments to ensure a successful educational experience at UNCG. We expect you to participate fully in the orientation program to complete your check-in process required for the activation of your SEVIS record at the beginning of the semester.

The following section pertains to undergraduate students pursuing a Baccalaureate degree only! Please skip to the graduate student section if you are a graduate student.

Whether you are an incoming first-year undergraduate or transferring in from another university to complete your bachelor’s degree, you are required to attend UNCG’s Spartan Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR) session in addition to the International Student Orientation. There are separate SOAR dates/sessions for incoming freshman (first-year) and transfer students. Make sure that you choose a date that does NOT conflict with the International Student Orientation so that you can fully participate in all required sessions.

To register for SOAR, login to your Spartan Link account, confirm your intent to enroll, and then wait to receive instructions via email on how to register for SOAR. Be sure to check your spam folder if you do not receive the email. If you have already checked your spam and have still not received an email, please contact us at isss@uncg.edu.

The following section pertains to graduate students pursuing a Master or Doctoral degree only! Please refer to the undergraduate student section if you are an incoming freshman or transfer undergraduate student.

Graduate students have a number of orientation sessions to attend prior to the start of classes. Sometimes sessions will conflict with each other. If this happens, contact the coordinator of International Student Orientation (isss@uncg.edu) immediately to make arrangements for completing a make-up orientation session.

Apart from International Student Orientation, the following sessions are required for all new graduate students:

• New Graduate Student Orientation will take place the week before classes start, and is strongly recommended for all incoming graduate students
• Departmental orientations: Your department will contact you about their individual orientation session. Each academic program has different requirements for incoming students. If needed, you can request more information from your Director of Graduate Studies about department-specific orientation requirements.

Please note that students who arrive on or after the first day of classes (see the UNCG academic calendar for the appropriate term) often have a difficult time catching up academically and a stressful time settling in. This may adversely affect your grades and jeopardize your F-1 or J-1 status. Culturally and academically, it is expected that students attend all classes, arrive to campus and participate in orientation activities, and are in attendance for the start of the semester.

International Student Advisors cannot grant students permission to arrive late or change your program start date in SEVIS, no matter the circumstance. Although a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Inspector at the U.S. airport might permit you to enter if you arrive a week past your program start date, we strongly recommend that you do everything in your power to arrive on time. You must defer your admission (see below) to a future term if, for whatever reason, you will arrive to UNCG after the add/drop date, which is always exactly one week after classes begin.

If you will arrive between the first day of classes and the add/drop date, you must notify and request permission from your academic department and get a letter to show at the U.S. Port of Entry. Generally, CPB will accept a scanned and printed image of the letter. The letter should state the following:

• How late the department is willing to let you start the semester (no later than the add/drop date).
• That you are pre-registered for full-time enrollment for the current term, that you will be able to catch up with your classes and your tuition and fees for the term have been paid in full to avoid course cancellation.
• If applicable, contact your department to verify that your late arrival will not negatively impact your eligibility for and ability to do your graduate assistantship (TA/RA position).

Upon arrival to UNCG, you must check in with an International Student Advisor at the International Programs Center (IPC).

Late arriving students are required to maintain full-time enrollment throughout the semester (no reduced course loads will be approved for students who are not able to find the right classes or are unable to catch up and are likely to make a poor grade). ew students should be prepared to attend classes while settling in since only online orientation services are offered after classes begin.

All requests for I-20 deferral and updated admission letters reflecting the new term must be received at IPC no later than 15 days from the program start date indicated on your initial I-20 form. Please contact IPC at isss@uncg.edu for additional instructions as your financial information may be affected and require further documentation.

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Undergraduate students

Contact Carol Mandzik (c_mandzi@uncg.edu), Director of International Recruitment for procedures on how to defer your admission as an undergraduate student.

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Graduate Students

If you wish to request a deferral of your admission, please complete the online deferral form located in the "Intent to Enroll" section of your Graduate School application and notify your graduate program as soon as possible.